Corset Story

There has been an attraction to corsets by both women and men for quite some time going back several centuries. The shapes formed by the various construction methods have come from a variety of backgrounds. and so have the basic types of items used. If you are trying to reproduce the correct shapes, you need to have an understanding of the materials and items you can use in today's marketplace.

Body Shaping and Corsets - The Perfect Match

The oldest corsets are typically those with a minimal amount of curves. The breasts tend to be flattened and their shape diminished. To attain this straight silhouette you have to constrain and work against the typical shape and inherent curves of woman's body.

Busks and Boning

A great corset design depends on two main factors: a) the properties and type of boning material used. and b) the tightening level allowed by the lacing. To ensure you are comfortable while wearing your corset you can only lace up and tighten so much, the remainder of the support is done by the boning.

A useful boning material is nylon cased spring steel that delivers a pale color base and is found in different length, thickness, and widths. When you select a spring steel for the corset you choose the width is of minor concern while your primary focus should be on the thickness. The steel boning characteristic makes a perfect corset because it is pliable and flexible, but it is nearly impossible to bend them.

You can also use busk fasteners that open and are used for the front of corsets to allow you to put your corset on and off without help. The busks first appeared in the 1860's and started with a straight simple busk, the complications of the spoon busk was developed around 1870. These items can be found in either our online superstore or our online auctions.